Root Canal Treatment Root Canal Treatment Surgery Overview Root canal treatment (also called a root canal) is done when decay will likely damage or has already killed a tooth . During a root canal, a dentist or endodontist removes the pulp from the center of a tooth and fills the pulp cavity. This can prevent the development of a painful infection in the pulp that may spread to other teeth. A root canal can also treat an infection that has developed into an abscessed tooth . This procedure can relieve toothache , stop infection, and promote healing. A general dentist or one who specializes in diseases of tooth pulp (endodontist) can perform a root canal. First, the dentist will numb your gums with a substance that feels like jelly. After your gums are numb, the dentist will inject a local anesthetic that will completely numb the teeth, gums, tongue , and skin in that area. Sometimes nitrous oxide gas will be used to reduce pain and help you relax. The dentist may separate the decayed tooth from the other teeth with a small sheet of rubber on a metal frame. This protective rubber sheet also helps stop liquid and tooth chips from entering your mouth and throat.

The dentist will use a drill and other tools to remove the pulp from the tooth and will fill the inside part of the tooth below the gum line with medicines, temporary filling materials, and a final root canal filling. After the root canal, a permanent filling or crown (cap) is often needed. If a crown is needed, the dentist removes the decay and then makes an impression of the tooth. A technician uses the impression to make a crown that perfectly matches the drilled tooth. The tooth may be fitted with a temporary crown until the permanent crown is made and cemented into place. What To Expect After Surgery After a root canal, your lips and gums may remain numb for a few hours until the anesthetic wears off. Later you may have throbbing pain, which you can treat with pain medicines, such as ibuprofen , acetaminophen , or a stronger prescription painkiller. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. The pain usually lasts only a day or two. Crowns that seal the top of the tooth and strengthen it may come loose over time. They may need to be repaired, redone, or cemented on again.

Why It Is Done A root canal is needed when tooth decay is likely to cause permanent damage to the pulp or has already done so. How Well It Works A root canal removes the pulp inside the tooth and replaces it with filling material. It can effectively treat or prevent an infection. Risks If you have an infected tooth, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. People who have a hard time fighting off infections may need to take antibiotics before and after a root canal. Such people include those who have artificial heart valves or were born with heart defects . What To Think About Because a root canal removes the pulp inside the tooth, the tooth becomes more fragile and may break more easily if it is not covered with a crown or cap. A root canal needs to be done as soon as possible to avoid a severe infection, which can damage the bone surrounding the root of the tooth and infect other teeth. If you have a severely decayed or infected tooth, you may not want to go through the expense and discomfort of a root canal and crown fitting. Instead, you may choose to have the tooth removed (extracted). The space can be left open or restored with a fixed or removable bridge .

Complete the surgery information form (PDF) (What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this surgery. Credits Primary Medical ReviewerSarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Specialist Medical ReviewerSteven K. Patterson, BS, DDS, MPH - Dentistry Current as ofNovember 20, 2015 WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.© 1995-2015 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Top Picks Parts of a Tooth - Tooth Morphology Parts of a Tooth - Tooth Morphology The Parts of a Tooth Teeth may look like they are a solid mass of very hard bone-like material but actually they are live organs of the human body with different parts, each of them performing a specific action. Under their protective exterior we can find the live part of the tooth with nerves that help the teeth feel sensations like hot, cold, or pain and blood vessels that nourish them and help them to stay alive and healthy.

When you look at the teeth in your mouth you do not see the full tooth but only the part of the tooth that is visible above the gums, the crown. The rest of the tooth lies under the gums inside the jaw bone and it is known as ‘root’ of the tooth. A tooth is divided in 2 main anatomical parts, the Crown and the Root connected at the Cervical line (Neck) . The Crown The crown is the visible part of the tooth that you can see above the gum line (clinical crown). It is covered externally by a very hard calcified outer layer, known as enamel . Under the enamel there is a layer of dentin with the pulp at the center of the tooth. The anatomical limit of the crown is the end of the tooth area that is covered by enamel. However the anatomical crown may not always be exactly in line with the initial definition about the visible part of the tooth given for the clinical crown. In younger people with healthy gums the gingival tissue will usually cover some of the anatomical crown, making the visible crown to look smaller. The opposite can also happen, when there is gum recession and root exposure.

Then some part of the root becomes visible making the crown to look larger and the tooth longer than it really is. The size of the crown may decrease with age due to the natural wear from chewing, or due to habits as grinding teeth (bruxism). Malocclusion (bad bite) may also speed up the wear down of the chewing side of the crown. The crown shape and size differs significantly between the different types of teeth. Incisors have a flat and board shape with narrow sharp edge. Canines have a more conical shape with a pointed edge. Premolars and molars have a bigger crown with much broader chewing surface and a varying number of raised pointed parts (cusps). The Root The root is the part of the tooth that is under the gum line embedded in the jaw bone, either the maxilla (upper jaw) or mandible (lower jaw). In anatomical terms it is the part of the tooth that is covered by cementum, a hard classified material but softer from the enamel that covers the crown. The root is the part of tooth that provides support and keeps it in place at the jaw with the help of the periodontal ligaments. Generally, it is the 2/3 of the overall length of the tooth.

Different types of teeth have different number of roots and root shape and size (also depending on their location in the mouth). Incisors have a single conical root. Canines also have a single root but much longer for providing stability. Premolars have one root, except the upper jaw first premolars which have two roots. Molars may have two, three, or up to four roots depending on their type and location in the mouth (usually 2 for the molars of the lower jaw and 3 roots of the upper jaw). At the end of each root there is a small opening called the apex or apical foramen. Blood vessels and nerves pass through this opening to enter the tooth. The apex is connected with the pulp chamber at the center of the tooth via the root canals that run through the center of each root. The Neck (Cervical line) The neck of the tooth (also called as cervical line) is the line formed at the point where the crown meets the root. In anatomical terms, it is the point where the enamel meets the cementum, also called the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ).

Crowns Crowns Treatment Overview A crown (often called a cap) fits over and replaces the entire part of a decayed tooth above the gum line. It encases the tooth and becomes the tooth 's new outer surface. You may need two or more visits to your dentist to repair a severely decayed tooth with a crown. Crowns may be made of porcelain or a metal base covered with a thin layer of ceramic that matches your teeth and looks like a normal, healthy tooth. Crowns for the teeth in the back of the mouth may be made of gold. During your first visit, your dentist will take out the decay and make an impression of your teeth to create a mold used for making the crown. Your dentist will: Numb your teeth, gums, tongue , and surrounding skin . Your dentist will first put a substance that feels like jelly directly on the area to start the numbing process, and then inject an anesthetic to complete it. Some dentists will give you nitrous oxide gas (laughing gas) to reduce your pain and help you relax. Sometimes use a small sheet of rubber on a metal frame (rubber dam) to target the decayed tooth and stop liquid and tooth chips from entering the mouth and throat.

Drill out all the decay. Take an impression of the decayed tooth. The mold will allow a technician to make a crown that perfectly matches the drilled tooth. Cover the tooth with a temporary crown until your permanent crown is ready. Some methods do not require a temporary crown. If you need a second visit, your dentist will: Remove the temporary crown. Cement the permanent crown to the damaged tooth. Have you bite on a piece of carbon paper. This shows how well the crown is positioned. Your dentist may need to reshape and polish the crown. What To Expect After Treatment Your lips and gums may remain numb for a few hours until the anesthetic wears off. To avoid injuring your mouth , be careful not to chew on your numb lip or cheek. Why It Is Done A crown is used to: Treat teeth that have broken or decayed so much that your dentist cannot fix them with a filling . Cover a tooth that is so severely damaged that most of the top part had to be removed. Repair a defective filling. Improve how a tooth looks. Dentists sometimes use crowns after root canal treatment to seal the tooth and prevent it from breaking. How Well It Works A crown will work just like a healthy tooth.

Crowns sometimes come loose or wear out over time. So you may need to get a crown cemented again or replaced. Risks If tooth decay is right next to the pulp, the pulp may not be strong enough to make healthy dentin , which surrounds and protects the pulp. If this happens, your dentist or endodontist may have to remove the pulp, or an oral surgeon may have to remove the tooth root . If you have certain heart problems, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics before a dental procedure. Some procedures can cause bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. The antibiotics lower your risk of getting an infection in your heart called endocarditis. For more information, see People Who Need Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis and Procedures That May Require Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis . What To Think About If the decay is near the pulp , your dentist may need to do a root canal before placing a crown. If the tooth cannot be fixed, it may need to be taken out ( extracted ). Then a bridge or implant can be placed. If the pulp dies after you get a crown, you will need a root canal to remove the dead pulp.

Tooth Abscess: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Abscesses Good oral health begins with diet and nutrition. Here are seven nutrition tips designed to help you on your way to that perfect oral health diet. Tooth Abscess: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Abscesses Reviewed By: Allen Ali Nasseh, DDS, MMSc If you have ever suffered an abscess  an infection of the mouth, face, jaw or throat  you can attest to the fact that it's one of the most painful dental experiences. Even worse, abscesses actually can be life-threatening if left untreated. Tooth abscesses always require professional dental care. They occur when bacteria invade the dental pulp, the soft inner part of the tooth that contains blood vessels, nerves and tissue. Bacteria enter through a dental cavity, chip or crack in the tooth and spread to the root. The bacterial infection causes swelling and the formation of pus (bacteria, dead tissue and white blood cells). If unchecked, the bacterial infection spreads from the tooth root to different parts of the body.

Common Causes of Tooth Abscesses Common causes of tooth abscesses are severe, untreated tooth decay, tooth injury, such as broken or chipped teeth, and gum diseases like gingivitis or periodontitis. Two other causes are persistent disease and infection following root canal therapy, and infected tooth fillings. Who is at Risk for Tooth Abscesses Anyone who does not receive treatment for a cracked tooth, exposed root or a deep cavity runs the risk of developing a tooth abscess. People who have not gone to the dentist for a long time are especially vulnerable because they likely have not received treatment for severe cavities caused by factors such as prolonged poor oral hygiene, a high-sugar diet or financial restrictions. People with diabetes, an autoimmune disease or those who are receiving chemotherapy/radiation cancer care treatment (or have another medical condition that weakens their immune system) also are at higher risk of abscesses. Tooth Abscess Symptoms A tooth abscess usually affects only one tooth, but if the tooth infection remains untreated, other teeth also may become infected.

To prevent serious complications that can develop from non-treatment, it is important to see a dentist if you experience any of the following symptoms: Toothache (continuous and characterized by gnawing, sharp, shooting or throbbing sensations) Bitter taste in the mouth Foul breath Pain when chewing, especially when biting or closing the mouth tightly Tooth sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures Red, swollen gums that drain pus Swollen lymph nodes in the neck and jaw areas Headaches If the infection kills the tooth nerve, the toothache may stop. However, this doesn't mean the infection has healed; the infection continues to spread and destroy tissue. With advanced infection, you may experience nausea, vomiting and chills. Fever and facial swelling may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw and surrounding tissue, or even to other areas of your body. If you can't reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Possible Complications of Tooth Abscesses An abscess may create an eruption or fistulae through the skin that leaks and drains pus into the mouth or through the cheek. More serious and dangerous, the abscess may erupt into the bone area and spread throughout the body, infecting surrounding tissue and possibly damaging nerves as it travels.

A severe tooth abscess that has perforated bone and extended into the soft tissue can eventually progress into osteomyelitis (bone infection) and cellulitis (skin infection). When left untreated, an advanced tooth abscess infection can eat away the jaw, leading to tooth loss and possible facial disfigurement as a result of compromised, soft facial bones. It can put you at greater risk of systemic (whole body) problems such as diabetic flare-ups, blood infection (septicaemia), breathing problems, heart disease and vascular infection. An example of a severe tooth abscess complication requiring immediate hospitalization is Ludwig's angina, a serious form of cellulitis that inflames the tissues of the floor of the mouth. In extreme cases, this condition can close the air pathway and cause suffocation. Infection also can spread to the mid-chest area, which has serious consequences on vital organs such as the heart. If the abscess doesn't drain, it may lead to sepsis, a whole-body infection that can cause limb loss, organ dysfunction and death. In rare cases, the spread of infection to soft tissue, the jawbone and other areas of the body may result in meningitis, brain abscess and pneumonia.

Tooth Abscess Treatment Options A tooth abscess won't resolve without treatment. Even if the abscess disperses, bursts or drains and the pain stops, you still need professional dental treatment. Common treatments for tooth abscesses consist of the following: Prompt treatment of cavities and traumatized teeth: Treatment goals include draining the abscess, eradicating and stopping the spread of infection, preserving the tooth (whenever possible) and preventing complications. Antibiotics: Antibiotics kill the germs responsible for tooth abscesses, helping the body to repair the tooth and bone. Your dentist usually prescribes tooth abscess antibiotics  most commonly penicillin  after X-rays have been reviewed to confirm that you have an infection. Tooth abscess antibiotics normally are effective in controlling the abscess; most of the symptoms will be alleviated within two days, and the tooth abscess typically will heal after five days of antibiotic treatment. If the infection is limited to the abscessed area, antibiotics may not be necessary. However, if the infection has spread to nearby teeth, your jaw or other areas, your dentist likely will prescribe antibiotics to stop the spread of infection. Antibiotics also may be prescribed if you have a weakened immune system.

Warm salt-water rinses: If an abscess erupts by itself, warm salt-water rinses will soothe, help clean the mouth and encourage drainage until you are able to see your dentist. Your dentist also may recommend them during the treatment recovery time to alleviate discomfort and promote healing. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication: Painkillers such as ibuprofen help alleviate discomfort while the area is healing. However, while these medications will diminish pain, they won't treat the abscess. You still need to see your dentist for proper follow-up care. Root canal treatment: This procedure can help eliminate the infection and save your tooth. This involves removal of the diseased pulp and draining of the abscess. The tooth's pulp chamber and root canals are filled and sealed, then capped. Root canal surgery also may be recommended to remove any diseased root tissue after the infection has cleared. This option is only recommended when enough tooth structure is left on which to place a permanent restoration. Extraction of infected tooth: If the tooth can't be restored through root canal treatment, it must be extracted. Your dentist will remove the tooth and drain the abscess to eliminate the infection.

Your dentist then will follow up by performing curettage (removing by scraping or scooping) of all infected soft tissue at the tip of the tooth. Tooth extraction and cleaning the affected area will allow the wound to heal. Surgery: An abscess that has spread to the floor of the mouth or to the neck may need to be drained in the operating room under anesthesia. Additionally, if an abscess still doesn't heal, or it enlarges after undergoing conventional root canal treatment, you most likely will need surgery and filling of the root tips, as well as a diagnostic biopsy. Hospitalization: Serious infections of the tooth and jaw, secondary infections of the body and their complications may be life-threatening and require emergency room and/or longer-term hospital care. Who Treats Tooth Abscesses If you have a tooth abscess, your general dentist may decide to cut it open and drain the pus, or treat it with antibiotics. Unless the abscess ruptures on its own, this generally is the only way to cure the infection. As needed, your dentist typically will prescribe pain relievers, rinses and antibiotics; follow-up care will be scheduled for reassessment.

If your tooth abscess requires root canal treatment, your general dentist likely will refer you to an endodontist, a specialist in root canals. An oral surgeon is recommended in cases involving removal of non-salvageable, diseased teeth, especially when general anesthesia is required and/or the evaluation and treatment of pathologic conditions, such as severe infections of the oral cavity, jaws and neck; and reconstructive/cosmetic surgery for facial disfigurement and the eating away of jaw areas and facial tissue. Emergency room physicians also may be required in extreme cases. If hospital admittance becomes necessary, a general medical practitioner can treat secondary infections that result from abscesses that have been left untreated too long or from fast-spreading infections. Cost of Tooth Abscess Treatment Because there are so many possible treatment options and factors involved, the cost of abscess tooth treatment is difficult to determine.

Variables in the cost equation include procedure(s) required, the type and severity of the tooth abscess, possible complications and secondary conditions resulting from the spread of the abscess or tooth infection, patient's age and health condition, the type, length and complexity of treatment, the type of dentist(s) needed, location of where treatment is given (such as a dental office, emergency room or hospital operating room) and dental insurance coverage. Antibiotics to clear a tooth abscess infection may cost a patient with insurance under $20. A simple extraction of an abscessed tooth on a child performed by a general dentist may cost around $300; root canal treatment  including additional related procedures and expenses  performed by an endodontist may cost between $800 and $1,500 for a tooth with between one and four canals, while emergency room and/or hospital care can run into several thousands of dollars. 8615 NE Hazel Dell Ave.

Vancouver, WA 98665 1221 SW Yamhill, Suite 310 Portland, OR 97205 1221 SW Yamhill, Suite 310 Portland, OR 97205 1221 SW Yamhill, Suite 310 Portland, OR 97205 1221 SW Yamhill, Suite 310 Portland, OR 97205 Toxic Teeth: How a Root Canal Could Be Making You Sick Visit the Mercola Video Library By Dr. Mercola Root canal is a commonly performed procedure in most adults. But is it a wise one? Dr. Robert Kulacz, a dentist, has spent a significant portion of his professional career trying to answer this question. What he discovered profoundly changed his life, and led him to write a book about his findings called, The Toxic Tooth: How a Root Canal Could Be Making You Sick , which I think is among the best available on this subject. Dr. Kulacz began practicing dentistry in Brewster, New York.

After six years as an associate, he opened his own practice in Somers, New York in 1992, where he performed all the conventional procedures of dentistry, from restorations to extractions and root canals. "I did a lot of root canals for many years," he says. "Everything was going smoothly until one day, a patient of mine said to me, 'You know, I heard from my physician that root canals may be bad; that root canals may cause or contribute to other diseases in the body.' And I said, 'You're crazy. Who is telling you this? That's impossible.' He said, 'You got to look at this information.' He gave me websites of organizations like the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) to look at. I went on to explore this topic so I could come back to him and say, 'Here is where you're wrong, here's where your physician is wrong, and here is where the American Dental Association (ADA) is right.' Lo and behold, I found out they're right; I was wrong. I looked at Weston Price's work, the work of Rosenow, and others.

I decided to go to an IAOMT meeting... Dr. Boyd Haley's lecture on root canals and how toxic they are changed my life. I realized I was wrong... From that day on, I changed my practice." The Importance of Informed Consent Dr. Kulacz stopped performing root canals in 1995. He doesn't promote a ban on root canals across the board, but stresses the importance of informed consent. The American Dental Association states that root canals are a safe procedure that cannot cause any systemic diseases, and according to Dr. Kulacz and others who have spent time investigating the matter, that's simply not true. "If a patient is informed that these root canal teeth remain infected; that bacteria can indeed travel to other sites in the body, and that bacteria in root canal teeth and the surrounding bone release potent toxins, then the patient can decide to have a root canal or not," he says. Many dentists believe they can sterilize a root canal tooth and that the act of instrumenting and irrigating the canal will eliminate all the bacteria, but that's not the case. "I've done biopsies on every root canal tooth that I have extracted.

Almost all of them have remnants of necrotic debris still in that canal meaning that they were not thoroughly cleaned. Microbiological cultures of the surrounding bone showed infection almost 100% of the time." Dr. Kulacz says. According to the ADA, any remaining bacteria will be "entombed" within that tooth, but that's not true either. The gutta-percha, the filling material used to seal the canal, is not getting into the tiny lateral canals that branch off the main canal, so leakage is almost always possible, especially since the tooth is porous. And even a perfectly sealed root canal cannot prevent the small molecule exotoxins produced by the bacteria inside the root canal tooth from easily migrating out of the tooth and into the body. The bulk of the tooth structure is composed of dentinal tubules, hollow structures that run from the main canal outward. If you were to put these tubules end to end from just a single rooted tooth, they would stretch for about three miles. But they're big enough to harbor bacteria three across, which you can never remove or sterilize. A tooth is more like a sponge than a solid structure.

"If you had a solid tooth structure that was like steel or a metal, you were able to clear out the main canal of that tooth, there were no tributaries, and you can perfectly seal it, and eliminate the residual infection in the surrounding jaw bone a root canal would be great. But we can't do that," he says. "Now, it doesn't mean that all root canal teeth are going to cause disease. It depends upon the type of bacteria that are in there, what kind of toxins they produce, and the immune system health of the individual. p>But with 25 to 30 million root canals done per year, multiply that by how many years a person is alive, there's a lot of root canals out there. And a lot of them are not good." Bacteria from Root Canals May Worsen Other Diseases Since root canal teeth are chronically infected, they may contribute to a number of different health problems, including heart disease. While the ADA insists bacteria from root canal teeth can never travel to distant sites in your body, Dr. Kulacz disagrees, explaining: "Heart disease is caused by the damage to the inside lining of the blood vessel (the cholesterol is a secondary byproduct).

The primary cause of heart disease is the damage of the intima lining of the blood vessel and migration of macrophages and cholesterol inside that artery. Inflammation causes plaque to rupture into the lumen, into the space of the blood vessel, causing a blood clot and a heart attack. [A] study done in 2013... compared the bacterial DNA in blood clots and arterial plaque in heart attack patients to the DNA of the bacteria in the mouth. The same bacteria found in the root canal teeth and in gum disease are found in the plaques in coronary arteries and in the blood clots that caused the heart attack. These bacteria move from the mouth into other sites of the body like the arterial plaques. They've also found the same bacteria in the pericardial fluid or the fluid that surrounds the heart... In heart disease you don't want infection and inflammation in an arterial plaque.

The presence of oral bacteria from root canal teeth and gum disease in the arterial plaque and blood clots of heart attack patients points to direct causation, rather than correlation between oral infection and cardiovascular disease." All Root Canal Teeth Will Become More Infected Over Time Because root canal teeth no longer have a blood supply, the bacteria remaining inside all root canal teeth are effectively "hidden" from the immune system. To make matters worse, the root canal tooth becomes more infected over time due to the influx of bacteria from the gum tissue surrounding the tooth. Other research has shown pathogenic bacteria from infected root canals destroy or kill the white blood cells designed to eliminate them, which is why the surrounding jaw bone can harbor such chronic infection. The bacteria can also evade your immune system by: Bacterial mimicry; mimicking your body's own bacteria, which your white blood cells will not attack Disabling your antibodies and white blood cells Forming sticky biofilms Decisions... Decisions... The video above was recorded about four years ago. In it, I discuss some of the health effects I suffered from an infected tooth, which were resolved after having the tooth extracted.

It's important to recognize that the reason you get cavities and/or infected teeth in the first place is related to your diet—primarily eating too much sugar. If your diet is inadequate, your immune function will be compromised, and if your immune system is weakened, the bacteria's ability to wreak havoc is magnified. So does this mean you have to extract all of your root canal teeth? No, Dr. Kulacz says. "We can't become so closed-minded that we ignore mainstream dentistry or mainstream medicine just because we don't believe one part of it. Just saying that we're going to extract all root canal teeth and we're going to cure all disease is not valid. That's as bad as saying that root canal teeth can't cause any problems. We have to find the balance... we have to evaluate objectively and then come to a reasonable conclusion and protocol on what to do with these root canal teeth." If you're considering having a root canal done, evaluate the data and your personal situation, such as your health risks, before making your decision. I would also suggest considering ozone therapy prior to root canal or tooth extraction. Ozone therapy is typically administered through a syringe, right into or around to the base of the tooth.

Multiple visits are usually needed to address the infection. Ozone is directly toxic to infectious material, and it also stimulates your immune system. I was able to prevent a root canal by using ozone therapy not too long ago. However if the pulp tissue has completely died due to infection, nothing, including ozone, will bring the tooth back to life. It took about five treatments. It's safe, non-toxic, and relatively inexpensive, so it may be worth considering before taking more drastic measures. If you decide to have the tooth extracted rather than doing a root canal, there are several options on how to restore that missing tooth. The first and least expensive option is with a removable appliance or partial denture. You need to take it out at night, put it back in in the morning, and keep it clean. It's the least invasive way to restore missing teeth. The second and considerably more expensive alternative is to do a bridge. The teeth on either side of the missing tooth are prepared for caps or crowns, and the missing tooth is attached to those two abutment teeth. The bridge is permanently put in as one unit.

The problem is you have to cut down a lot of the enamel on the adjacent teeth, which causes trauma to those teeth, potentially risking the need for another root canal over time. What You Need to Know About Dental Implants The third option is a dental implant , where a screw is inserted into your jawbone after a healing time of between three and six months to ensure a base of solid, healthy bone in the jaw. Then a tooth is built upon the top of the implant. The implant functions as your root would have and you have a permanent crown that functions like your real tooth. While that may sound ideal, there potential problems to consider. First, if you use a titanium implant, you're placing metal into your jawbone, which can cause a galvanic or battery response with other metals in your mouth. There are reports in the literature of allergy and tissue toxicity to the metal used in dental implants that can also negatively impact health. At the very least, if you are considering a titanium dental implant, have an allergy test to all the metals present in that implant. This is especially true if you have a known sensitivity to metals. Dr. Kulacz prefers zirconium implants, as they do not have metallic ions found in titanium implants.

However, if an implant is placed into the bone where a previous root canal was done, and the bone was insufficiently cleaned out when the tooth was extracted, then your bone may still be infected. In such a case, you're placing an implant into a chronically infected bone, which is inadvisable. "It's critical when you extract the root canal tooth that you remove the periodontal ligament (the little sling that holds the tooth to the jawbone), the lamina dura or socket bone (the only purpose of that socket bone is to support the tooth), and then a small amount of bone outside that space. That's done with a slow-speed, round dental bur with copious or lots of sterile sealing and irrigation to keep the bone healthy. If you do that, you remove the infection, you induce good blood flow into the jawbone – without blood, there is no healing – and you have a non-infected, healthy, and healed bone to which you can then place your dental implant," he says. "Bacterial cultures and tissue biopsy of the surrounding bone after thorough socket cleaning can uncover any residual infection that may remain.

This is why I do not favor immediate placement of a dental implant into the socket of a root canal tooth, preferring to wait for the results of the cultures and biopsy as well as adequate bone healing." Gum disease is also a common problem associated with implants. An infection or an inflammation in the gums is very similar to having an infection or inflammation in the bone or the root canal tooth. Natural teeth have a barrier against the migration of bacteria into the surrounding bone. They are full of fibers that insert from the gum into the root of the tooth and the bone, which prevents the bacteria from getting in to the bone area. Dental implants don't have that. They rely on a sticky coating secreted by the gum around the cuff of the collar of the post that supports the crown. That cuff of tissue has to be maintained with good oral hygiene to prevent inflammation that might otherwise loosen the tissue around the tooth. If you have gum disease and don't clean the implant post thoroughly, the gum disease around implants will progress much more rapidly than around a natural tooth. If you have a dental implant, it's imperative to follow strict oral hygiene, or you may quickly end up with gum problems.

A Root Canal Tooth Is Dead, and Necrotic Tissue Tends to Cause Problems A root canal tooth is no longer alive. It's dead tissue, which should never be left in your body. If you have appendicitis, the surgeon just doesn't isolate it and leave it in there. He has to remove it. Yet when it comes to teeth, this rule is ignored. According to Dr. Kulacz, many people who came to see him—often as a last resort—were able to resolve chronic health issues once their severely infected root canal teeth were extracted and/or the infection properly treated. Interestingly, Dr. Weston A. Price was even able to reproduce people's diseases in rabbits simply by implanting the person's root canal tooth beneath the rabbit's skin. 1 "The ADA tries to refute Price's work, saying it lacks adequate controls and they used too much bacteria when they inoculated the bacteria into these rabbits. Well, that's not true. They took the actual root canal tooth and they implanted the same root canal tooth with no more bacteria than would have been found in the person from which it came. That same tooth was implanted under the skin of rabbits. Lo and behold, they would find the same disease occur in the rabbits.

The ADA says they repeated Price's work and found it to be invalid. Well, they never have. I've looked for it. I've emailed them. There is no repeat of Price's work. Further, current research supports Price's assertions that bacteria from root canal teeth DO travel to distant sites in the body." More Information To learn more about root canals, and/or to help educate your dentist, I strongly recommend picking up a copy of Dr. Kulacz' book, The Toxic Tooth: How a Root Canal Could Be Making You Sick . If your dentist is honest and sincere, he or she will likely come to the same rational conclusion as Dr. Kulacz. Granted, in many cases, you're likely to meet with resistance. This seems to be the norm before changes in thinking finally shift to the majority. In some cases the resistance can be severe. Dr. Kulacz ended up losing his practice after the New York State dental board drummed up a series of charges against him, including "gross misconduct" for extracting root canal treated teeth.

The dental board initially wanted to pull his dental license, but backed off when the prosecuting attorney admitted no dentist had actually reviewed the reams of data he'd sent in defense of his treatment—a case of misconduct on behalf of the dental board. "I called the chancellor of the board of regents in New York State and said, 'Your dental board is corrupt. The prosecutor admitted to me that my case was not about justice. It was not about the truth. The dental board had an agenda. They already dismissed this patient's file as a cause of action.' Now, I'm not a conspiracy guy. I never thought that this kind of thing could happen. In fact, if somebody would have told me in the years prior that this could happen, I would've thought they were crazy. But it did happen to me," Dr. Kulacz says. "The next day, the attorney from New York State called and said, 'The dental board is going to drop all charges if you will accept a records violation.' They had to have something, otherwise I could go after them for false prosecution." Considering it would have taken several years and a quarter of a million dollars to continue fighting, he accepted the records violation—not realizing this would effectively put him out of business...

He kept his dental license, but he never realized accepting the violation would increase his malpractice premium ten-fold—from $8,000 a year to $80,000. After being shut down for a year because of the board's action, he made the painful decision not to reopen. Dr. Kulacz' story is yet another example of what can happen to a professional who bucks the trend. It's not very different from the case of Ignaz Semmelweis, an ob-gyn and surgeon who, about 150 years ago, was vilified for his theory that microbes cause infection. Semmelweis was labeled "insane" by his colleagues for having the audacity to suggest they should wash their hands between deliveries, and they fired him. He tried to continue his research but was ostracized by the medical community. His mental health eventually did deteriorate, leading to his death in an insane asylum. Fortunately for us, Dr. Kulacz wrote a book instead of mulling on the pain and frustration of losing a two decades long career. It's a great resource, with the details necessary to convince most rational individuals that root canals are not in the best interest of your health.

And, if you have a root canal tooth, to be cautious and consider having it extracted if indicated. You can also learn more on his website, coletrex.com , or contact him via email at: rkulacz@yahoo.com. Resources to Help You Find a Biological Dentist The following organizations can help you to find a biological dentist specializing in mercury-free dentistry and other holistic approaches: Discover the comments that have the most impact on our readers. View this article’s most recent comments. Read your fellow readers’ comments arranged from oldest to newest. See what our top posters have to say about this article. Root Canals Often Lead to Infections -- Are You At Risk? Hours Why Are Root Canals Bad? At The Center for Natural Dentistry, we do not recommend root canals or root canal therapy. Why? Because more often than not, root canals result in an infection. While that infection may never cause a noticeable health problem, a substantial number of people will suffer adverse affects. The risks of root canal therapy do not outweigh the “reward” of keeping a dead tooth in your mouth. So why do so many root canals result in infection? Simply put, the roots aren’t fully sterilized and not 100% filled.

This results in pockets of potentially harmful bacteria that are “sealed” into the tooth, away from blood-flow that fights infections. In short, it becomes a haven for bad germs. Rather than write another article laden with facts on root canals (we’ve already written plenty of them, just check out under The Root Canal Controversy section of our website (we talk about Alternatives to Root Canals , Infections from Root Canals , Sargenti Paste , Ozone Therapy for Root Canals , and much more.), I want to give you some real-life examples of what we’re talking about. Below I’ve posted just a few of the pictures we’ve taken of extracted teeth. Most of these were taken in just the past few days… and we have plenty more to choose from. In some cases, the patient had some sort of pain or discomfort. In others, no symptoms were noticed by the patient. In our practice, about 9 our of 10 extractions performed on root canal treated teeth have obvious infections like the ones you see below. Enjoy. Case study of a patient suffering adverse health affects...

Share Parts Of A Tooth: Healthy Teeth - Family Dental Care The Parts Of A Tooth A tooth is basically made up of two parts: the crown and the root. The crown is what you see when you smile or open your mouth. It’s the part that sits above your gumline. The root is below the gumline. It makes up about 2/3rds of the tooth’s total length. Four different tissues make up each tooth. The enamel is the durable, white covering. Enamel protects the tooth from the wear and tear of chewing. Dental Fact: did you know that the enamel on your teeth is the hardest substance in your body? Dentin supports the enamel on your teeth. It’s a yellow bone-like material that’s softer than enamel and carries some of the nerve fibres that tell you when something is going wrong inside your tooth. The Pulp is the centre of the tooth. It’s a soft tissue that contains blood and lymph vessels, and nerves. The pulp is how the tooth receives nourishment and transmits signals to your brain. Cementum is what covers most of the root of the tooth. It helps to attach the tooth to the bones in your jaw.

A cushioning layer called the Periodontal Ligament sits between the cementum and the jawbone. It helps to connect the two. Root canal treatment - How it is performed - NHS Choices Root canal treatment - How it is performed Share: Root-canal-treatment How it is performed Root canal treatment is carried out by your dentist over two or more appointments. Unless you're entitled to free NHS dental treatment, you'll have to pay for root canal treatment. Read about: Getting help with dental charges If the work is particularly complex, your dentist may refer you to a specialist in root canal treatment, known as an endodontist. All registered dental specialists in the UK are listed on the website of the General Dental Council (GDC) . Search the register for a specialist Preparation Before having root canal treatment, your dentist may take a series of X-rays of the affected tooth. This allows them to build up a clear picture of the root canal and assess the extent of any damage. Root canal treatment is usually carried out under local anaesthetic , a painkilling medication that numbs a specific area of the body. In some cases where the tooth has died and is no longer sensitive, it may not be necessary to use a local anaesthetic.

Occasionally, teeth may be difficult to anaesthetise. On these occasions, your dentist can use special local anaesthetic techniques to ensure your treatment isn't painful. Removing the pulp Your dentist will place a rubber sheet (dam) around the tooth to ensure it is dry during treatment. The dam also prevents you swallowing or breathing in any chemicals the dentist uses. Your dentist will open your tooth through the crown – the flat part at the top – to access the soft tissue at the centre of the tooth (pulp). They'll then remove any infected pulp that remains. If you have a dental abscess , which is a pus-filled swelling, your dentist will be able to drain it at the same time. Cleaning and filling the root canal After the pulp has been removed, your dentist will clean and enlarge the root canal so it can be easily filled. The root canal is usually very narrow, which makes it difficult to fill. Your dentist will use a series of small files to enlarge the canals and make them a regular shape so they can be filled. This part of the treatment may take several hours to complete, and may need to be carried out over a number of visits.

Your front incisor and canine teeth (biting teeth) usually have a single root containing one root canal. The premolars and back molar teeth (chewing teeth) have two or three roots, each containing either one or two root canals. The more roots a tooth has, the longer the treatment will take to complete. If the treatment needs to be carried out over several sessions, your dentist may put a small amount of medication in the cleaned canal in between visits to kill any remaining bacteria. The tooth will then be sealed using a temporary filling. If you have symptoms from the infection, such as a raised temperature or large swelling, you may be given antibiotics to help manage and prevent further infection. Sealing and fixing the tooth At your next visit, the temporary filling and medication within the tooth is removed and the root canal filling will be inserted. This, along with a filling, seals the tooth and prevents reinfection. Root-filled teeth are more likely to break than healthy unrestored teeth, so your dentist may suggest placing a crown on the tooth to protect it. In some cases a root-filled tooth may darken, particularly if it has died as a result of injury like a knock to the tooth.

There are several ways your dentist can treat discolouration, such as whitening the tooth using chemicals. Crowns A crown is a cap that completely covers a real tooth. It might be necessary to use a crown after root canal treatment to prevent the tooth fracturing. Crowns can be made from: metal or porcelain (or both) a ceramic material powdered glass The size of your tooth will be reduced and the crown will be used to replace what's removed. A mould of your tooth will be taken to ensure the crown is the right shape and size, and fits your tooth accurately. When fitting the crown, cement will be used to glue the crown to the trimmed-down tooth. If there's only a small amount of tooth left after the root canal treatment, a post can be cemented in the root canal and used to help keep the crown in place. Results Root canal treatment is usually successful at saving the tooth and clearing the infection. One review of a number of studies found 90% of root-treated teeth survived for 8-10 years. The study also found having a crown fitted to the tooth after root canal treatment was the most important factor for improving tooth survival rates.

If you practise good oral hygiene , your treated tooth should survive for a long time. The survival of your tooth depends on a number of factors, including: how much of the natural tooth remains how well you keep your teeth clean the biting forces on the tooth If an infection does return, however, the treatment can be repeated. Alternatively, if treatment has already been carried out to a high standard and the infection remains, a small operation to remove the root tip (an apicoectomy) may be carried out to treat the infection. Page last reviewed: 01/07/2016 Structure & function of teeth » Children's Oral Health » Dental Health Foundation Professional Development Structure & function of teeth The tooth has two anatomical parts. The crown of a tooth is that part of the tooth which is covered with enamel and this is the part usually visible in the mouth. The root is the part embedded in the jaw. It anchors the tooth in its bony socket and is normally not visible. Enamel The hard outer layer of the crown. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body. Dentine Not as hard as enamel, forms the bulk of the tooth and can be sensitive if the protection of the enamel is lost.

Pulp Soft tissue containing the blood and nerve supply to the tooth. The pulp extends from the crown to the tip of the root. Cementum The layer of bone-like tissue covering the root. It is not as hard as enamel. Structures around the tooth Periodontal ligament: Made up of thousands of fibres which fasten the cementum to the bony socket. These fibres anchor the tooth to the jaw bone and act as shock absorbers for the tooth which is subjected to heavy forces during chewing. Oral Mucosa: This is the term ussed to describe the moist tissue that lines the mouth. Gingivae (gums): Soft tissue that immediately surrounds the teeth and bone. It protects the bone and the roots of the teeth and provides an easily lubricated surface. Bone: Provides a socket to surround and support the roots of the teeth. Nerves and blood supply: Each tooth and periodontal ligament has a nerve supply and the teeth are sensitive to a wide variety of stimuli. The blood supply is necessary to maintain the vitality of the tooth.

Tooth Anatomy Food Allergies Books Tooth Anatomy Tooth anatomy is a colloquial term sometimes used to refer to dental anatomy, the field of anatomy concerning the physical structure of teeth. That is a large subject. Knowledge of the general structure of a human tooth is included in many first-level courses, e.g. in school biology. The following labelled diagram of a "typical" molar tooth describes basic tooth anatomy in general terms only. (More advanced courses include detailed study of specific types of teeth). First, what is a molar tooth ? There are several types of human teeth. The first set of teeth that develops in young children is temporary, also known as milk teeth. The four types of adult - called permanent teeth are: Canines (also known as cuspids) Premolars (also known as bicuspids) See also teeth names (of human teeth). The parts of the molar tooth labelled in the following simple diagram of tooth anatomy are described in the table below. Diagram of Tooth Anatomy Note that the diagram above is a simplified representation of a cross-section of a general molar tooth. In reality the relative size and proportions of the parts of the tooth vary from tooth to tooth.

Although the lower molars have two roots (as shown above), the upper molars usually have three roots. Purely for ease and clarity of representation in this diagram, blood vessels are shown above in one tooth root and nerves in other other - but in reality all tooth roots contain blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic vessels. Part of Tooth 1. Crown The crown of a tooth is the part of the tooth that is above the level of the gums and is covered with enamel. 2. Neck The neck of a tooth is the narrowing part of a tooth between the tooth crown and the tooth root. 3. Root The root of a tooth consists of one or more projections (two are shown the the diagram above) embedded into the bone. These roots of teeth are embedded into either the mandible (lower-jaw bone) or one of the maxillae (upper-jaw bones), depending on the location in the mouth of the individual tooth. Detail of Tooth Anatomy 4. Enamel Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. It consists mainly of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Enamel covers the crown of each tooth and is important because its hard structure protects the tooth from mechanical wear e.g. due to chewing food.

Tooth enamel also protects the rest of the structure of the tooth from chemical attack by acids that might otherwise dissolve the dentin part of the tooth. 5. Dentin The main structure of teeth consists of dentin, which is a calcified connective tissue. This gives the tooth its overall shape and rigidity. 6. Pulp Pulp within a tooth is a form of soft connective tissue that includes blood vessels , nerves and lymphatic vessels. It is contained within the central part of the tooth called the "pulp cavity". 7. Pulp Cavity The pulp cavity of a tooth is the volume in the centre of the tooth within which is the tooth "pulp" (a connective tissue that contains blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic vessels). The largest part of the pulp cavity is in the centre of the tooth but the pulp cavity also extends down through all of the roots of the tooth. The narrow sections of pulp cavity extending down through the roots of teeth are called "root canals". 8. Gingivae Gingivae is the medical term for gums (plural). The singular word for just one "gum" is "gingiva".

Gingivae or gums are the oral mucosa covering that that surrounding the base of each tooth forming continuous "gums", one around the upper-jaw and the other around the lower-jaw . 9. Blood Supply (to tooth) Tiny blood vessels supply oxygenated blood to, and drain deoxygenated blood from, each individual tooth. These blood vessels (shown in red and blue in the diagram of tooth anatomy) are part of the human vascular system and pass through the tooth root canals within each of a tooth's roots. 10.

Question: What part of the body has a crown and a root
Answer: Tooth